BYOD (Bring your own device)

Technology, for all of its uses,  has many obstacles for certain age groups and communities that may not have the same level of exposure or the same resources as others. Libraries, especially those which serve large populations of individuals that fit this description, have a rare opportunity to bring new patronage through their doors by providing services that teach individuals how to use their devices and tie in teaching for accessing library services and resources as well. One version of this type of service or program is the BYOD(Bring Your Own Device) Day, hosted by many local libraries in recent years. A benefit to having this type of event is that these types of training can allow library staff and volunteers to teach many people at once and reduce the amount of time that is spent on a regular basis helping patrons navigate new technologies. This, in turn, frees up staff to complete other projects and to assist visitors with services more directly related to the library and its collections (Kuzo, p.75). BYOD can also take on the form of employees and staff using personal devices such as cellphones and laptops to perform work duties. In the same way that teaching patrons to use their own devices can improve efficiency in their library use, allowing staff to use personal devices can cut down on training time, improve the efficiency of work, and increase morale (Bran, EdTech)

One significant obstacle to BYOD, however, is the question of whether the infrastructure and network capabilities of the library are able to to handle that many devices logged in during such a short period of time (Bran, EdTech). Most libraries are on tight budgets and the cost of updating or improving their systems is not something that they would be able to easily take on. A library without the proper network systems would place the burden of connectivity on the user, a burden which could weigh heavier on those whose purpose for going to the library is lack of resources such Unlimited 3G on their Smart devices and WiFi at home.

References: 

Bran, Livia. “Top 10 BYOD Concerns - and How to Overcome Them [Part 1].” EdTech Update, 12 Oct. 2016, www.edtechupdate.com/byod/libraries/?open-article-id=5673755&article-title=top-10-byod-concerns---and-how-to-overcome-them--part-1-&blog-domain=neolms.com&blog-title=neo-lms.

Kuzo, Joseph. “School Librarians: Key to Technology Integration.” Knowledge Quest, vol. 4, no. 1, Sept. 2015, pp. 74–76. EBSCOhost,  search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lxh&AN=109276635&site=ehost-live&scope=site.